Lecture Notes: Harmony in Music

Introduction to Harmony

• Harmony is a significant element of music, just like melody.
• It adds depth, color, and enhances the memorability of a melody.
• Described as the three-dimensional aspect of music due to chord progressions and harmonic textures.

Definition of Harmony

• The combination of simultaneous pitches or chords that satisfy the ear.
• Can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (filled with tension).
• Consonance: Harmonious and stable combinations of notes.
• Dissonance: Tense, unstable note combinations creating conflict or tension.
• Personal preference influences perception of dissonance; analogy with hot sauce.

Importance of Tension and Release

• Essential in music and arts.
• Harmonic tension arises from instability or dissonance in chord progressions.
• Typically resolved by moving to stable consonant chords.
• Creates anticipation, suspense, and emotional engagement in listeners.

Historical Context

• Baroque composers used harmonic suspensions to create tension.
• Suspended chords extend notes from one chord to the next, adding emotion and anticipation.

Harmony vs. Melody

• Melody: Sequence of single notes.
• Harmony: Combination of multiple notes or chords played simultaneously.
• Harmony supports and enriches the melody, contributing to a piece's mood and emotion.

Harmonic Texture

• Refers to a composition's density and chord arrangement.
• Thin and transparent vs. thick and dense textures affect the music's richness and complexity.
• Baroque harmonic textures thinner compared to Romantic period symphonic poems.

Components of Harmony

• Chords: Basic building blocks of harmony.
• Chord Progressions: Successive series of chords.
• Voicing: Arrangement of notes within chords.
• Harmonic Rhythm: Frequency of chord changes affecting pacing and tension.

Chord Progressions and Functionality

• Create emotional impact through consonant, dissonant, or combined progressions.
• Tonic Chord: Central chord providing stability, magnetism to tonal center.
• Other chords relate to the tonic (root chord) and create tension/release dynamics.

Western Music Traditions

• Chord functions based on interaction within a tonal universe.
• Dominant and Subdominant Chords: Define tonal key alongside tonic.
• Tension often resolved by returning to natural notes (e.g., C major tonality).

Types of Chords

• Major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords offer varying tension and stability.

Advanced Harmonic Techniques

• Modulation: Shifting from one key to another within a piece.
• Chromaticism: Adds complexity and emotional expression.
• Circle of Fifths: Visual representation of key signature relationships; used for modulations.

Balance in Composition

• Balance tension and resolution throughout a piece.
• Ensure harmonic changes feel purposeful and contribute to structure and coherence.

Conclusion

• Composers use traditional and exploratory harmonic techniques.
• Future music blends familiar elements with new ideas, continuing musical evolution.